TSA Broadens Use of 'Backscatter X-Ray' Machines

TSA Broadens Use of 'Backscatter X-Ray' Machines That Conduct 'Virtual Strip Searches'
The Transportation Security Administration is expanding the use of "backscatter X-ray" systems for passenger screening. The $100,000 refrigerator-size machines use "backscatter" technology, which bounces low-radiation X-rays off of a passenger to produce photo-quality images of travelers as if they were undressed. Computer processing partially obscures the image that is available to operators. TSA states that the agency will delete the raw images, but there is no law or regulation that prevents the agency from saving the original, detailed images. Until there is such a prohibition, EPIC believes funding for the program should be suspended. See EPIC's Spotlight on Surveillance ( http://www.epic.org/privacy/surveillance/spotlight/0605/ ) and page on Backscatter X-ray ( http://www.epic.org/privacy/airtravel/backscatter/ ). (Oct. 11)

Hello,
Actually, what people do not know is that the low-energy x-ray (< 80KV) is far more dangerous than the high-energy ones (100KV >). The so-called skin dose can cause cancer and whatnots whereas there is far less damaging potential from high-energy x-ray in adults.
Mrk